Abstract

We describe a computational model of Web navigation. This model simulates a user searching a Web site for a specified target item located under one of the site's terminal links. The model's simple, yet plausible, implementation produces results that are consistent with published empirical studies. In particular, under certain conditions, it produces longer search times and a higher failure rate for a three-level site than for comparable two-level sites. Despite its simplicity, it demonstrates complex interactions between site depth and the quality of Web link labels and predicts that, as the quality of link labels diminish, the advantage for flatter Web structures increases.